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Thursday, March 31, 2011

March 29 — Create a free Footnote Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley’s post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your female ancestor. Tell us about who you've selected and why and then post a link to what you've created.

I selected my great grandma Long.I selected her because I love this pictures.

March 30 — Did you receive any advice or words of wisdom from your mother or another female ancestor?

Grandma Davis always said, Be kind to others and depend on yourself as much as possible, a hug is worth more than you'll ever know.

If you know how to read and neglect to do it, you are no better off nor informed then if you could not read.

Mom's advice was be moderate in all things, get plenty of rest, fresh air, and sunshine, live close to God, stay peaceful, stay away from doctors as much as possible, use herbs and a good diet, and be positive as your outlook on life affects your health.

I agree with both of them and my mom is the most positive, peaceful, soft spoken person I know. I have never heard her raise her voice and yell, and she has been a good example because I have never yelled either. Grandma Davis was always sweet and kind and huggable, and I have always loved to read.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Seneca Wilcox was born on April 1, 1808 in Addison Co., Vermont. When I found out he was my great grandmother's father from her death certicate and 2 obituaries, I found a flood of ancestors that came from England to New England in colonial times. I met Jane Wilcox on-line who sent me the information as her GG {I think} grandfather was brother to Seneca. Seneca parents were Ebenezer and Thankful Stevens Wilcox, who were both born in Killingworth, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. The Wilcox's trace back to William Wilcoxson and Margaret, who came over on the Planter in 1635 to Massachusetts with their young son, John, and later was one of first settlers in Stratford, Fairfield Co.,Connecticut and Killingworth, Connecticut. The Stevens trace back to William and Mary Meigs Stevens. William Stevens came over before 1652 and married Mary Meigs in Connecticut, her parents John and Tamazin Fry Meigs had immigrated to Massachusetts with Mary when she was 5 years old, in 1637 from Devon, England. I really can't write about all of Seneca's ancestors in this blog as there are 35 surnames traced back to England to colonial America. The surname are: Wilcoxson, Kelsey, Disbourgh, Bronson, Smith, Buswell, Bushnell, Grombridge, Hull, Mitchell, Loomis, White, Allgar, Westcott, Marchant, Stevens, Meigs, Fry, Hubble, Wakeman, Gaylord, Buell, Griswold, Post, Hicks, Cruttendeen, Gregson, Hinkson, Gray, Lettice, Spencer, Harris, Joy, Gallop, Bruchett. I have one surname in Seneca's family that has not been traced back to England, his name was John Sheather, and he lived in Connecticut in colonial times. Seneca moved from Vermont to Dawn, Livingston Co., Missouri with his brother, Horace, before 1839, when he bought 241 acres in Livingston Co., Missouri.. He married Sally Harris in 1842, and had 4 children with her {Rosana, Mary, Betty and Lorenzo} before her death by 1859 when he married Nancy Christison Haynes, a widow. Seneca and Nancy had 3 children { Lavina, Lovisa,and Elizabeth} When Seneca died Nancy moved with her 3 girls, Lovisa {my great grandmother} Elizabeth, and Lavina Bloom and family to Indiana.

Seneca Wilcox

Seneca Wilcox, Christison Cemetery, Dawn, Livingston Co., Missouri

Nancy Christison - Nancy was born in Lincoln or Casey Co., Ky., her great grandfather , John Christison came to Lincoln Co., KY. {part that later became Casey Co., KY.} from Baltimore, Maryland with his adult children in 1788, his wife, Margaret Hamilton Christison had died in Baltimore, Maryland. Nancy's grandfather, William Christison died in 1807 and left small children, one being Nancy's father, William Christison {age 3}. Court records say his guardian was James Brooks, in 1809. William Christison grew up in Casey Co., KY. and married Mary. I have not found their marriage application yet, and I can not read what her name is from Nancy's death certificate, it looks like Heller. Nancy's marriage record says Hellum. William and Mary moved to Dawn, Livingston Co., Missouri by 1850. Nancy's two brothers, George and Leonard went to the California Gold Rush about 1851, and George ended up getting married while there. He sent his money he was making home to his father, he ended up dying in El Dorado, California in 1853, and his widow sued his father and brother, William and Leonard Christison, saying she should have some of the money, but the courts let William and Leonard keep the money. At the age of 22 in 1854, Nancy married Adam Haynes, not sure what happened to him, but she married Seneca Wilcox in 1859, a widower, with 4 children, Nancy was 14 years younger than Seneca. On the 1900 census Nancy says she was the the mother of 7 children but only 2 living {Lovisa and Elizabeth}so she either had 4 children with Adam Haynes or Seneca, that had died, unless she was just counting her 4 step-children as her children {but 2 of them were still living in 1900}.When the civil war started, her youngest brother, John L. Christison, age 18, joined the Confederates, by 1862 he was killed in a battle. After Seneca's death in 1878 she didn't have any family left, except a few nieces and nephews, her mother had died in 1870 of Scrofula, a type of T.B. in the lymph nodes of the neck, Her father and last living brother, Leonard, both died in 1875, so she packed up and left for Indiana, with her two youngest daughters, her daughter Lavina Bloom and husband, John Bloom, and two small children, Clara and William Bloom and Lovisa's daughter, Nancy Hanna. John and Lavina Bloom settled in Huntington Co., IN. where he had family. They had 5 more children together and in 1889, Lavina died, age 29, probably in childbirth, as she had a baby in 1889. Nancy and the 2 youngest girls went to Boone Co., Indiana first, and she married Samuel Wyatt. The two girls went to Hendricks Co., Indiana and in 1884, Elizabeth married John Gibson and Lovisa married James Hamilton. Elizabeth lived out her life in Hendricks Co., IN., I believe she divorced John Gibson and then married in 1887 to William Newton Runion, a widower with 10 children, he was 20 years older than Elizabeth and it was his fourth marriage, but they ended up having 7 children together. Nancy and Lovisa then moved to Montgomery Co., Indiana, I do not know what happened to James Hamilton, but in 1887 Lovisa married James Davis. Samuel and Nancy helped raise Nancy Hanna from Lovisa's first marriage, the father, David Hanna, had died before Nancy Hanna was born. Nancy died in Montgomery Co., IN., I don't know any more about Nancy's ancestors except for her great grandmother, Margaret Hamilton, may have been from Ireland, her father was Thomas Hamilton and a Thomas Hamilton has a U.S. naturalization card in Baltimore, Maryland from Ireland. I don't know if this is Margaret's father, but I am sure her father was Thomas Hamilton, who leased land in Baltimore in 1744, age 50, and named his two children, William, age 14, and Margaret, age 17.

Monday, March 28, 2011

I have been blogging about Fearless females almost all month. I am now going to write each day about my 16 great grandparents. Today will be :

Hiram Nathaniel Davis- Hiram was born Feb. 25, 1825 in Jennings Co., Indiana. He married Mary Ann Crutchfield on June 30, 1850 in Boone Co., IN., by 1860 they were in Montgomery Co., Indiana were they raised 10 children ; Charles, William, Mary, Hezekiah, Eliza "Ann", Maggie {died at age 2}, James K.S. {my great grandpa}, George, Clara Ellen, and John. In 1861 before my great grandpa was born, Hiram joined the civil war. He enlisted on Oct. 22,1862 in Company F, 54 Indiana Volunteers , as a private, commanded by Caption Nuff. He was discharged on Dec 8,1863. He was injured near Black River in Mississippi. He was out foraging and he fell off of a wagon , striking on his left shoulder, throwing it out of place, which so disabled him that he was unfit for service the rest of his term. This was on his pension form, the person who told this says he was there and witnessed it. I can not read his name as it is sloppy writing but it looks like John Chapman. Hiram says that near a place called Vicksburg in Mississippi on the seventh of Aug, 1863 while out with a foraging party he fell while getting off a wagon load of corn and the hind wheel of the wagon ran over his hips, straighten them apart and badly injuring him, at same time he contracted diarrhea. He received hospital treatment in a convalescent camp somewhere in Georgia, I can't read the writing of where in Georgia. A third witness, James Ballard says he was Hiram's bunkmate, and that he fell off wagon striking his left shoulder, and that he remained with the company but was in the convalescent care until his time expired. Said he had seen Hiram a few times since and he still complained of his shoulder pain. Hiram applied for pension on Nov 6,1875. Mary applied for his pension on June 21,1889. Hiram has a cross to his honor at Ladoga Cemetery and is also named on the Civil war Memorial in the entrance to the Ladoga, Montgomery Co.,IN. Cemetery.Hiram's parents are listed on his death certificate : Charles and Sally Davis.Charles Michael and Sarah Ann "Sally" Davis were married in Jennings Co., Indiana on Dec. 22, 1822. I have not been able to find out who Charles's parents were. A bible record just says Charles William and Sarah Elizabeth. Charles was born in Amherst Co., VA., Sally's parents were Nathaniel and Margaret Murley Davis who were living in Jennings Co., Indiana. Nathaniel and Margaret were married in Pulaski Co., Kentucky and had lived in Cumberland Co., KY. before coming to Jennings. I do not know who Nathaniel's father was. Nathaniel was born in Virginia. Margaret Murley is probably the daughter of the Irish Murley's that came from Chester Co., PA. to Shenandoah valley of Augusta Co., VA. and Greenbrier Co., West Virginia, that is all I have been able to trace on my Davis's. My Dad did DNA, but so far not much luck with that, just that we are Western European.

Mary Ann Crutchfield- She was born Sept. 10, 1831 in Russellville, Putnam Co., Indiana. Her parents, Richard and Keziah Owen Crutchfield came from Clark Co., KY. to Putnam, Indian in 1826. Mary Ann was the second youngest to a family of 11 children, her obituary states she was last to die of a family of 11 children.
The Crutchfield's go back to Nicholas Crutchfield who was a Revolutionary
Soldier in Goochland Co., VA. and moved to Clark Co., KY.
Her Owen family came from Wales to PA., then Duck Creek, New Castle, Delaware, Maryland, and then Clark Co., KY., her grandfather, John Owen was in the Revolutionary War in Montgomery Co., MD. He served in the Corps called the " Flying Camp" under command of Capt. Amon Riggs. In an affidavit made in Clark Co., Ky. on Jan. 26, 1833 he stated that he was in the Battle of Germantown under General Washington. In 1788, John , with his brothers, Lawrence and Thomas, left Maryland and settled in Clark Co., Ky. on Four-Mile Creek, in a settlement now known as " Pinchem" He is buried in Owen graveyard near site of his home. A goverment marker has been erected at his grave.Her great grandfather Francis Cullom was also in Revolutionary War from Maryland.From Revolutionary Patriots of Montgomery Co., Maryland, 1776- 1783, by Henry C. Peden, JR., 1996 :He was in the REV. war he was Private 2nd company Middle battalion Militia, Sept 4, 1777, PVT 5th class , 3rd Company , Middle Bn, July 15, 1780. Took oath of Allegiance, Feb 28,1778, of Montgomery Co., Maryland. He has a will in Clark Co., KY., names children, Mary Owen, Abigail Owen, William, Fanny Mcdevinid, Susannah, Frances Tilman, Edward Northcraft Cullom. I have a copy of his will. He put in his will for 6 of his slaves to be set free at certain times and ages, Abigail to be set free on the first of January next, Jack to be set free on the 10th of March 1812, Joe to be set free 5 years after the date of this will, Terry to be set free 7 years after date of this will, Sam to be set free 10 years after this will, and the boy, Charles, to be set free 15 years after this will, if Terry should have any children, if they should be boys, to be set free at 21 years of age.Francis was married to Susanah Northcraft. Her parents were Edward and Elizabeth Fryer Northcraft. Edward also had slaves. He left a will naming Susanah Cullom as his daughter.His wife was Elizabeth Fryer. Her parents were Richard and Elizabeth Trail Fryer from Maryland. Elizabeth Trail's parents had immigrated from Orkney Islands, Scotland to Prince George Co., MD. Her grandmother's maiden name was Balfour from Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

March 27 — Do you know the immigration story of one or more female ancestors? Do you have any passenger lists, passports, or other documentation? Interesting family stories?

Most all of my female ancestor came to colonial America in the 1600’s.

One interesting story is about my 9x great grandmother, Christobel Bruchett Gallop. Her husband, John Gallop, came to America on the Mary and John in March 1630, she did not come at that time, maybe because she was pregnant, but she was afraid to leave her home in Dorset, England. I wrote about her in this blog: Christobel

My 8x great grandmother, Elinor Norman Cook , a Quaker, sailed from Cheshire, England to Philadelphia with her husband and 7 children, their passage was paid by their Quaker friends in England. Her husband, Peter Cook, died at sea. After Elinor got to Philadelphia, her baby {15 months old} died, it is written in the Quaker minutes that Peter Cook, father of the baby, died at sea. Elinor later remarried.

My 8x great grandmother, Mary Bronson, came from Essex, England to Massachusetts with her older brothers. Mary’s mother had died in England, and Mary’s brother and wife were taking care of her, she was about 14. She got into some trouble with some boys when in Massachusetts, and was quickly married to an older man, Nicholas Disbrough, who she had 5 daughters with.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

What education did your mother receive? Your grandmothers? Great-grandmothers? Note any advanced degrees or special achievements.

My mother graduated from a small town high school with 23 other Students, 13 males and 10 females. Many years later she took courses in the mail and was a teacher at a ChristianSchool.

My grandma Davis went to school in Rush, Grant and Randolph County, Indiana. She says in her writings that she went to West School in Gas City, Indiana from 4th-8th grade, she says she graduated from there with honors, however in her other writings she says she was pulled out of school and put to work in a restaurant in Yorktown, Indiana,so I think she graduated 8th grade and got a few more years of schooling then was pulled out to work, this was about 1927. She says in her writings it was her last year at WestSchool in GasCity and there were only two she can remember who were graduates. She says the teacher chose her to be a part of the program for graduation and the rural schools for the whole county came together. She says her Aunt Nellie agreed to take her for a few speaking lessons from a teacher’s wife. She says she won the declamation award and it gave her a better opinion of herself and she gave her teacher credit for that.

My grandma Long went to school in Montgomery County, Indiana, I don’t think she graduated, I know my grandpa Long did, but not sure about her.

My Great grandma Long went to school in Eastern Kentucky and I don’t know if she graduated.

My great grandma Davis went to school in Livingston Co., Missouri. I don’t know if she graduated or not, she died before I was born and I haven’t heard any stories about her childhood.

My great grandma Simms went to school in MontgomeryCo., IN. and I do not know if she graduated.

My great grandma Morris {Chaney} had to move all the time because of her father lying about his name, so I don’t think she ever graduated. My grandma Davis says she never heard about her mother’s childhood. I have heard that her mother had been a school teacher when she lived in Ohio, so maybe her mom home schooled her.

Glenda Long, Graduation Day, 1957

Grandma, Mildred Day, probably about 16 here, about 1927

Great Grandma, Etta Mae Simms {on left} with a friend. Probably about 17 or 18 here, about 1896

Thursday, March 24, 2011

March 24 — Do you share any physical resemblance or personality trait with one of your female ancestors? Who? What is it?

I have red curly hair. My dad has blond curly hair and my mom has dark wavy hair. The red hair came from 4 of my great grandparents: Merttie Lee Powers Long, Goldie Morris {Chaney} Day, James Davis and Joe Rivers. Where did my dad get his curly hair? I'm not sure, but I assume it was from his Davis family, I do know that his Great grandpa, Hiram Nathaniel Davis, had a sister, Diantha Davis Arney who had red curls. I have green eyes like my Dad, but his mom, Mildred Day Davis had green eyes, and I think she had them from her mom, Goldie Morris {Chaney} Day. I also inherited shortness from my female ancestors. My mom was 4 foot 11. My great grandma, Merttie Powers Long was 5 foot tall, my grandma Davis was about 5 foot and her mom, Goldie, was under 5 foot. I am 5 foot 1 inches tall. I think it's funny that we are short on my mom's side and her maiden name is Long, which means a tall person, but there are lots of tall men in that family, and I have one Aunt on that side that is taller, but my mom also has the surname Short on her mom's side.

Mildred Day with her brothers. her hair looks wavy here.

Great grandma Goldie's hair looks curly here. She always had short hair in all the pictures I have seen of her.

March 22 — If a famous director wanted to make a movie about one of your female ancestors who would it be? What actress would you cast in the role and why?

It would be my 9x Great Grandmother, Christobel Bruchett Gallop and Renee Zellweger would be cast in the role, as she has a good british accent.

Christobel was born 1594 in Dorset, England. On Jan. 19, 1616, at the age of 22, she married John Gallop at the St. Mary’s Church of Bridport, England. From 1615-1629 she had 4 children: John, Joan and the twins, Samuel and Nathaniel. When the twins were about one, John Gallop decided to sail to the New World, on March 20, 1630, John left from Plymouth, England on the Mary and John and landed in Nantucket Point, Massachusetts. I do not know why Christobel did not go with him; maybe she felt the children were too young. John was a very experienced Mariner in the new colony and they did not want him to leave just because his wife wouldn’t come.

Governor Winthrop sent a letter to Reverend White in England asking him to please persuade her to come.

On 4 July 1632 John Winthrop wrote "I have much difficulty to keep John Galloppe here by reason his wife will not come. I marvel at the woman's weakness that she will live miserably with her children there, when she might live comfortably here with her husband. I pray persuade and further her coming by all means: if she will come let her have the remainder of his wages, if not, let it be bestowed to bring over his children, for so he desires: it would be above £40 loss to him to come for her" [WP 3:87-88].

Your assured in the Lord’s work,

Massachusetts, July 4, 1632J. Winthrop

Christobel finally made the 8 week journey in 1633 on the Griffin. Reverend White and two other reverends were also aboard. Maybe Christobel was comforted by the fact that 3 preachers were sharing the voyage with her.

Christobel and John joined the church in Boston on June 22, 1634. They lived their lives out in Boston. John died Jan. 11, 1650 and left a will that left Christobel well cared for. She died 5 years later, age 61, on Sept. 27, 1655.

Interesting note about John and Christobel, they are ancestors of former presidents, George Hubert and George Walker Bush and Emily Dickinson, through their son, John Gallop. My ancestor is through their daughter, Joan, who married Thomas Joy.

Monday, March 21, 2011

This weeks Saturday Night Genealogy Fun for Mother's Day fromRandy at Genea-Musings.

This is something I found on another blog but thought it was very interesting:1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

3) Post your responses on your own blog post, in Comments to this blog post, or in a Note or status line on Facebook.Mine is:

Me

My Mom

My Grandma, Violet Rivers {1919-1985}

Etta Mae Simms {1878-1945}

Phebe Jane Johnson {1842-1918}

Matilda Huston {1812-1885}

No, I have not done this , but would like to, as it has been said that Matilda Huston’s mother was Native American. If having my DNA done would tell me if this is true, it would be something I would like to do. My Dad had his done for Davis , and we are Western European from his DNA, Haplogroup R1b1a2.

March 20 — Is there a female ancestor who is your brick wall? Why? List possible sources for finding more information.

I have four, but I’ll just write about one today. She is from my Dad’s family, my GG grandma, Nancy Ellen Steen Day Mundy.

Facts I have about her:

She was born Feb. 4, 1864 in Indiana. She married James Henry Day on Oct. 4, 1883, age 19, it was her first marriage and his second, his first wife had died on June 1880, and he had 3 children to raise. They were married by the JP. I assume Nancy helped raise his children since there is not an 1890 census, and by 1900 they were grown. I know from 2 birth certificates I found that Nancy and James had 2 children in Marion Co., IN., Maggie L. Day, born Oct. 29, 1885, and James Ernest Day born June 8, 1897. I have not found my great grandfather’s birth record, however, he says on his Social Security application that he was born on April 1889 in Castleton, Marion Co., IN. I have no idea where Nancy was in 1870. I did find a Nancy J. Steen, age 16, in Washington Twp., Marion Co., Indiana with a John Steen, age 45, born Indiana and James Steen, age 12, born Indiana, not sure about this as she always put her name as Nancy E. or Nancy Ellen. A researcher contacted me and said Nancy’s brother was Andrew Steen, she said she had relatives that remembered Nancy, so where was her brother, Andrew in 1880? Who is James Steen? Her death record says her father was Andrew Steen and mother was Mary. Her obituary states she died at her sister’s house, Mrs. Robert Reed of Zionsville, Indiana on Nov. 23, 1938, it states she had been living with her for one year.

John Steen that was on the 1880 in Washington twp., Marion Co., IN. that had Nancy J. and James, died in 1885 in Marion Co., IN., he had married a Mary C. Steen on Nov. 20, 1865 in Boone Co., Indiana. This was probably not Nancy’s mother, since she was born 1864. Nancy shows up on 1900 census in Hamilton Co., Indiana with her husband James Henry Day, and sons Andrew and Ernest. James Henry Day died Jan 20, 1910. At some point after 1910 census and before 1920 census, she married Edward Mundy. I can not find a record for their marriage. I have looked in Boone, Tipton, Marion and Hamilton. In 1916 Nancy and Ed are listed in Noblesville, Indiana living at 147 W. South. In 1920 they were listed in Noblesville at 127 W. Chestnut. She is on 1910 census as widowed, with her daughter, Cora, also living with her is Edward Mundy, age 45, listed as divorced boarder. Her and Ed are on the 1920 in Noblesville, Indiana.

Now, the stories my grandma has told me makes it more confusing. Grandma says Nancy was dropped off on orphanage steps and an Indian maiden was seen running away. Grandma says Nancy told her she could still smell the campfires. My grandma was young when those stories were told to her, maybe she got mixed up on what she heard. The orphanage records in Marion Co., Indiana have been searched and her name was not found. Grandma could have been hiding something from us, as she did with her grandfather, David Henry Chaney a.k.a., John Henry Morris. She hid other things in her family that I can’t write about right now.

Things I can still do : look in all counties around HamiltonCounty to find her and Ed’s marriage application.

Try to find more on her sister, Mrs. Robert Reed.

Do more census searches on the Steen surname in Indiana.Update 7/18/14- Jonathan Steen, age 16 is on the 1850 census in Clinton Co., IN., with a William and Harriett Steen and their young children. I do not think Jonathan is their son, but is probably related to them. I think this may be Jonathan Steen, father to Nancy Ellen Steen Day Mundy, Andrew Jackson Steen, and Elizabeth" Lizzie" Steen Rosso Reed. Nancy's son, James Day, put on his marriage application that Nancy was born in Clinton Co., IL., but I think it was suppose to say IN., Nancy put on her marriage application to her second husband, Edward Mundy in 1914, that she was born in Clinton Co., IN. and her parents were Jonathan Steen, born Clinton Co., IN. and Mary C. Steen, born Clinton Co., IN., Andrew Steen's daughters marriage applications both state Andrew was born in Clinton Co., IN., Lizzie Steen states on her marriage application she was born in Clinton Co., IN., however she may have a different mother as she states her parents as Jonathan and Mary Ellen Steen. I need to look some more in Clinton Co., IN., and Nancy stating her mother was Mary C. Steen, however, Jonathan married Mary after the birth of Nancy { Nancy was 3 months shy of being 2 years old when he married Mary C. Steen}.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

My Irish roots, where should I start? First of all, I love Ireland, never been there, but I love the pictures I see, it has a pull on me. I love Celtic Music {Enya, Celtic Woman, Celtic Thunder, Riverdance.} I’m listening to Enya as I write this. I always look for my Irish roots. I think we look for what we feel we look like, and I always felt, and was told I looked Irish, with my red hair, green eyes and light skin. My mom and her sisters always look for the Native American in our family tree, as they all have dark hair, dark eyes {except one that has green} and high cheekbones, and they were told their grandma’s great grandma was Native American married to an Irish man {which would be James Huston},but so far it is our brick wall. We were also told we had Irish in our blood. My mom has dark hair and eyes, my dad has blond hair and green eyes, I was their first born with red hair, where did it come from? My first place to look was my grandparents, but didn’t find it there, then I looked at 4 of my great grandparents that had red hair {I was told it use to be, it was white when I knew them}. The first one was on my mom’s side, Merttie Lee Powers Long, from Eastern Kentucky. She had long auburn red hair and brown eyes.Well, Powers is usually listed as an Irish name. I never went to the Powers reunions as they stopped having them before I was born, but knew a lot of them had red hair from being in school with them. We have a brick wall with our Powers family. The furthest back we can get is Jeremiah Powers who was born 1801 in Kentucky, his family probably came from Virginia or North Carolina before that. He grew up in Bath Co., KY., he married Leah McCarty {Irish or Scottish surname} in 1823 in Bath Co., KY. They raised 9 sons in Bath and Morgan Co., KY., their oldest son Thomas Powers married the neighbor girl, Cynthia Anna Wells, in 1845, in Bath. Cynthia had a grandma named Elizabeth Burk Parker. Burk is an Irish surname, but that’s all I know about Elizabeth. Thomas Powers was killed in the civil war and Cynthia was left a widow with 7 children to raise. She raised them by herself, in Morgan and Menifee Co., KY. Thomas and Cynthia’s son was James Powers who married Emily Frisby. I believe the Frisby family was English, but I found an Irish heritage in this family, Emily’s grandmother was Sally Day Frisby and Sally’s parents were Reuben Day and Martha Prunty. The Prunty’s can be traced to CountyDown in Ireland. So I am now going to go to the first one in the Prunty family, he was my 7th great grandfather, Barnabus Prunty, he died about 1751 in County Down, Ireland, age 33, 10 years after the Irish Great Frost. His son, James Prunty, my 6th great grandfather was born 1743 in Ireland. James grew up in CountyDown and married Mary about 1763. He then came to Colonial Virginia by 1776. He was in the Revolutionary War in Virginia. Mary must have died before June 26, 1794 because he then married Martha Turner on June 26, 1794 in Franklin Co., VA. His daughter, Martha “Patsy” Prunty then married Reuben Day and they had Sally Day Frisby who I talked about above.

Merttie Lee Powers

Merttie Lee Powers, age 15.

Great grandma Long: Prunty. Then I have the ones not traced back : Powers, Burk, and McCarty.

On my dad’s side, I heard that my great grandpa Davis had red hair and that my grandpa Davis was not happy about my hair, as he didn’t get along with his father, James Kemper Sherman Davis. I have a picture of James and he had red hair and light eyes {probably green}.All my Davis cousins born before me had blond or light brown hair and light eyes. All my Dad’s siblings had blond hair, except his oldest sister who had light brown. My great grandpa died before I was born and my grandpa Davis died when I was 3. My dad didn’t know any of his family history, but we found out James Davis wife was a Wilcox, and all her family on her dad’s side traced to Colonial New England. James Davis, we were able to trace back to my 4th great grandparents, Nathaniel and Margaret Murley Davis in Jennings county, Indiana in 1820. Murley is the Irish name and we think it traces back to Cornelius Murley who was in colonial Chester Co., Pennsylvania and then in the Shenandoah Valley of colonial Augusta Co., Virginia when he was listed in the Pennsylvania Gazette as a runaway Irish servant of William Noble on July 8, 1742. Cornelius joined the Augusta Co., VA. colonial military in 1742. His wife was named Austas. Cornelius, his wife and his son, Daniel Murley were killed in an Indian raid. Daniel was married to Judith. They had a son, Daniel, who went to Greenbrier Co., West Virginia and married Margaret. Daniel left a will and my Margaret Murley Davis is not in it, but he died by 1781 and Margaret “Peggy” was born about 1781, so was possible Margaret was pregnant when Daniel died. Margaret then married William Scones and shows up in Cumberland Co., KY. As does her son, William Murley and so does Margaret “Peggy”. She shows up with her husband, Nathaniel Davis. Maybe this is not Margaret “Peggy” Murley Davis’s family, but it is an uncommon name, and is the only ones in that area.

Great Grandpa Davis: Murley

James Kemper Sherman Davis

My Grandma Davis’s mom was Goldie Morris Day, but her real surname was Chaney, I have written on this blog about that family. Goldie had light red hair, I believe, and light eyes,I don’t remember her. Her mother was Elizabeth Kinnaman, and that family has been traced to Scotland. Her father was David Henry Chaney and his grandma was Sarah Jackson Chaney, an Irish/English Quaker. Sarah’s grandfather was Samuel Jackson who came from County Antrim, Ireland to Chester Co., Pennsylvania. The family moved to North Carolina in the 1750’s and were in Surry Co., North Carolina in the 1770’s. Samuel had John Jackson who married Phoebe Beals {an English Quaker} and they moved on to Clinton and Highland Co., Ohio; they had Sarah, who was disowned for marrying out of Quaker faith to Edward Chaney. David Henry Chaney also had a 6x great grandfather, William Clarke, an Irish Quaker who came from Dublin, Ireland to Salem, New Jersey by 1677 and married his second wife in the Salem monthly meeting. His first wife is unknown, and was the mother of our ancestor. He then moved to Sussex Co., Delaware and lived on the Delaware Bay. He served as justice of the Peace in Lewes.

Great grandma Day: Jackson, Clarke

Andrew and Goldie Morris {Chaney} Day

My grandma, Violet Rivers Long, had a grandma named Phebe Johnson Simms. The Johnson {Johnston} has been traced to Scotland, and Simms is a Scottish surname. Violet’s father, Joe Rivers, had red hair and brown eyes and his mother was Emily Hardin Sullivan. I believe Sullivan is an Irish name, but can only trace them back to Hardin and Green Co., KY. Campbell and Farris are two Scottish surnames in this family. Joe had a GG grandma named Jane Mann. It is believed her grandfather was Scotch-Irish and came from Ireland to colonial Augusta Co., VA., Violet was told that her mother's great grandmother was Native American married to an Irish man. Well, Violet's GG grandfather was James Huston, his wife is our brick wall. His daughter, Matilda Huston Johnson was born 1812 in Montgomery Co., Ohio. Huston is a Scottish surname but some of them moved to Ireland.

Great grandpa Rivers: Mann, Sullivan, Huston

Joseph Hardin Rivers

My husband has 4 Irish families in his lineage, most of his ancestors were German, Swiss, or Scottish, but he has 2 Irish Quaker families: Burk and Beard. They all came to colonial America. James Burk, his 7 x great grandfather, came from Ulster, Ireland and married in a Quaker monthly meeting in Chester Co., PA. to a Scottish girl, Jane Bane.He died 1783 in Surry Co., North Carolina. His 6 x great grandparents, John and Martha Beard, Irish quakers, came from Londonderry, North Ireland to colonial South Carolina and then on to North Carolina where they died in Randolph Co., North Carolina, most of their children moved on to Indiana. John and Susan Linn, his 6 x great grandparents, came from Ireland to colonial Pennsylvania. Most of their children moved to Indiana. William Dungan, his 9 x great grandfather, was born in Celbridge, Co.Kildare , Ireland and died in London, England, his son, Reverend Thomas Dungan came to colonial Newport, Rhode Island.He then moved to Bucks Co., PA. and helped found and was first preacher of Pennepack Baptist Church in Cold Springs, Buck Co., PA. I have read that Pennepack was the first Baptist Church in Pennsylvania in 1682.

What an honor to be awarded by a fellow blogger! I am honored to be given the One Lovely Blog award by Alanna who authors the blog Confessions of a Gene-a-holic
Thank-you, Alanna.
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About Me

I have been researching my family and my husband's family for some time now. In my research I have been able to trace most of our families from England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Moravia, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. The first were the colonial New England families on my dad's side, and the Appalachians and colonial Tidewater Virginia on my Mom's side, we have French Huguenots to New Amsterdam and Pennsylvania, Anabaptist, Quakers,Mennonites, Puritans,Baptist, Methodist,Presbyterians, Lutherans, Moravians. Most of our ancestors came to Colonial America and helped start towns and build churches, fought in all the wars. I also have paper trails to European Kings, and have 8 of the 25 signers of the Magna Carta along with King John, that were ancestors of my colonial American English ancestors, no way to know if it is true, as being that far back there could be a child born out of wedlock, but as far as paper trails go, I do have that.I'm going to use this blog to tell their stories and maybe to get help with my brick walls.